"Valuing Biodiversity Conservation in Manu National Park: A Choice Experiment Case Study Conducted During the COVID-19 Pandemic"

Abstract

"This case study analyzes public preferences for biodiversity conservation in Manu National Park, Peru, using a choice experiment. The study evaluates how respondents assess different representations of biodiversity, including threatened species of flora and fauna, habitat loss, and ecological functionality expressed through networks of species interactions. The survey was implemented online during the COVID-19 pandemic among residents of Metropolitan Lima. A total of 1,005 respondents completed the survey, generating 4,020 choice observations. Preferences were estimated using mixed logit (MLM) and latent class (LCM) models to account for heterogeneity in respondents’ valuations of biodiversity attributes. Results indicate that ecological functionality is the most influential attribute in respondents’ choices. Improvements in species interaction networks generate the largest marginal utility gains and the highest willingness to pay (WTP) estimates relative to traditional biodiversity indicators such as species counts and habitat loss. These findings suggest that functional ecological indicators may be more easily interpreted by respondents in megadiverse contexts where the complexity of biodiversity is difficult to communicate. However, the results reflect the preferences of an urban sample from Metropolitan Lima and therefore should not be interpreted as nationally representative. Overall, the findings provide insights for conservation policy by suggesting that functionality-based biodiversity indicators may help communicate ecological change more effectively in megadiverse ecosystems. © 2026 by The Regents of the University of California"